Buckle



BUCKLE Filed Jan. 5, 1933 ad ,2 3 'WI'A /e' w, f C 5 f" 5 5 /Z//O j@ /4 [l l ZJ /2 /5 j.. l a d sA'rss PATENT orrics BUCKLE Jacob I. Schaffer, Bronx, N. n Y Application January 6, 1933. serial` No. 650,483

5 Claims.

This invention pertains to buckles, particularly such as are employed, for example, for fastening belts or other articles of wearing apparel, although the invention is applicableto buckles of general utility, the invention relating particular-- ly to an improved ratchet device for usein such buckles.

One common practice in making buckled belts, particularly for womens wear, is to sew one end of the belt material to the buckle, but, although belts are made in Various standard lengths, the

retail dealer is constantly confronted-with the necessity of cutting belts down to the exact length demanded bythe individual customer, and this necessitates removal of the buckle-cutting oi a portion of the belt, and re-sewing it to the buckle,

all of which takes time, and unless great 'care is exercised in making the requisite measurements with proper allowance for doubling and sewing, the re-sized belts may still be found of'improper length.

To avoid this sewing operation it has been proposed to make buckles with releasable clamping or ratchet devices for holding the end of the belt. However, suchratchet devices as usually made have no provision for guiding the operator in so repositioning the end of the belt (after it Y has been cut) that the clampingelement will engage the belt at the proper point in its length. Moreover, such ratchet devices are thick and expose a corner or angle toward the wearers body; the arrangement of parts is such that they belt tends toV press the angle of the ratchet device against the wearer with uncomfortable pressure, at the same time tending to throw the buckle outwardly at an angle and give it undue prominence;

the raw or unfinished end edge of the belt is partially exposed so that, if it tends to ravel or fray, the ravelings are exposed to view,--while the general appearance of the ratchet, at least from the rear side, is crude and clumsy.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a buckle ratchet wherein the abovenoted disadvantages of prior constructions are avoided, and, in particular, to provide a ratchet applicable to buckles of various kinds, including center bar buckles, which is of dainty and neat appearance and but little thicker thanY the thickness of the belt material; which has a gauge and guard for the raw end edge of the belt fabric, whereby the position of such edge is accurately determined while at the same time `such edge is protected and concealed which'has a substantially smooth back adaptedto lie substantially buckle or producing undue or uncomfortable pressure; which is of pleasing appearance both at the front andV backg-wherein the clamping lever is readily accessible and easily actuable; and which may be made rapidly and by simple, and inexpensive methods.'

In the accompanying drawing wherein one desirable embodiment of the invention has been illustr'ated'by way of example, as applied to buckles of different types;-

, Fig. 1 is afront elevation of a center bar buckle embodying the present invention, the buckle being shown as attached to a belt;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the buckle shown in Fig. 1; l

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, to larger scale, illustrating the buckle ratchet forming the immediate subject matter of thepresent invention, shown with its parts in belt clamping position;

Fig. i is a View similar to Fig. 3, but showing the Aclamp elements released; Y f

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig.y 3;

Fig. 6 is a section substantially on-the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. -7 is an end elevational view looking from the right-hand side of Fig. 5 and showing -the clamping means released; Fig. 8 is a', rear view illustrating the invention as applied toa different form of buckle, the two 85 parts or the buckle being separated; Vand Y Fig. 9 is an edgev elevation vof the device shown in Fig. 8, but with Ythe two parts of the buckle united. y f

Referring to the' drawing, the numeral 1 desig- 90 nates the front member of a center bar buckle, said member having the center bar 2 which supports the usual tongue 3 adapted to engage the openings in the free en-d 4 of a belt whose other end 5 isV attached to the buckle by means of the 95 y ratchet device 6.

This improved ratchet device which forms the subject matter of the present invention preferably consists, except for the movable clampingl member, of a single unitary piece of sheet metalV bent'to the desired shape.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 3 to '7, the ratchet device 6 comprises a front wall 7 (Fig. 5) which is preferably substantially at and smooth;-end walls 8 and 9;-a rear wall 105 comprising the spaced fixed parts 10 and 1l ldisposed adjacent to the opposite end walls 8 and 9, respectively; and extensions 12 and 13 lying Vsubstantially in the same plane as the rear wall members land 11, respectively, and having their end portions bent to form the hooks 14 and 15. The ratchet device also comprises the stop or gauge wall 16, here shown as projecting at right angles to the wall '7 and extending substantially to the rear wall members 10 and 11gthe parts 12 and 13 projecting outwardly beyond and overlapping the free edge of the wall member 16.

The end walls S and 9 are furnished with bearing openings 17 for the reception of pintle members 18 projecting from opposite edges of the clamping device and forming a pivotal support for the latter. This clamping device comprises the member 19 which normally lies substantially in the plane of the members l0 and 11 (Fig. 3) and the members 10, 11 and 19 form parts of the rear wall of the ratchet. The clamping device also has a portion 20 disposed substantially ,at right angles to the part 19, such portion 20 preferably having a toothed edge for engagement with the belt material.

Preferably the members 10 and 11 haveoblique` the clamping device is inoperative position, the

part 19 may lie substantially in the plane ofthe parts 10 and 11, as above described, providing a `smooth and substantially flat rear wall parallel to the front wall '7, and together with the side ``wallsS and 9. and the gauge wall 16 constituting a housing for the end of the belt. Preferably the member 19 has an edge portion 25 which is adapted to overlapthe edge of thewall 16 to a slight of the members 12 and 13, for engagement by they Afinger ofthe operator when he desires to release extent (Figs. 3 and 6) when the parts are .in

clamping position, thus furnishing a finger engaging portion, located between adjacentedges AVthe belt from thev ratchet device.

vicewith the front member 1 of the buckle.

In using the device, the member 19 is swung Y downwardly, as shownfor example in Fig. 7, and

.the end of the belt material is introduced between the inner surface ofy the front wall rland the Y member20, which is now spaced to a maximum extent from the front wall. The end edge of the belt .material vis now; pushed inwardly until it comes into engagement with thegauge .wall 16 `which limitsfurther movement, thus positively determining the amount of the belt material which may project beyond the clamping device 20. The

l member 19 is then swung into its operative posi Y ...tion (Figs. 3 and 6) at the same time carrying the ..member 20 up into a position such as to clamp vthe end 5 of the belt rmly against the inner surface of the front wall 6,'it being noted that in this position of the parts the rear fiat wall of the housing is substantially parallel to the belt so that strain put upon the belt has little, if any,

` tendency to tip the ratchet device toward oraway from the wearers body.

When the end of the belt is thus clamped in position, its end edge (which may be rawr or unfinished as a result of cutting the belt material to the desired length) is concealed and protected so that it cannot ravel out or otherwise exhibit an unsightly appearance. Since it is not neces- ...sary to double back any portion ofthe belt when it is introduced into the ratchetdevica-the belt Ythe reception of the hooks 14 and 15, respectively.

may be placed in the proper position for clamping without any substantial care or the exercise of skill on the part of the operator.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the ratchet device 6 is substantially as shown in the previous iigures, with the exception that the hook members 14 and 15 are not bent downwardly but are left in their open position. In this instance the opposite end 4e of the belt is provided with a suitable ratchet device (ifL which, if desired, may bewsubstantially similar to the ratchet device already described, except that in place of the hooks 14 and 15 it may be furnished with slots 26 and 27 in its extension members 12 and 13 for It will-be noted that the improved ratchet device providesa substantially iiat rear surface which is neat in appearance, which does not present any angles such as might cause discomfort to the wearer; that it isthin in a front to rear direction so that it occupies but little space; that a belt may be readilyY introduced and clamped or released, when desired, for readjustment or resizing; and that at the .same time the device is of very simple construction and may be made cheaply and rapidly by the use of automatic machinery.

.While I have illustrated one desirable embodiment of the invention, together with certain applications thereof, I wish it to `be understood that these illustrations are merely by way of example, and that the invention in its broader aspects is capable of embodiment in other .specic constructions, and that all such modifications and equivalents as fall Within the scope of the vappended claims are to be regarded as within .portion of a belt, ay wall projecting rearwardly from one edge of the front member substantially at right angles to said support and adapted to cover and conceal the end edge of the belt, end wallsprojecting rearwardly from said front member, a clamp pivotally supported bysaid end Walls, said clamp having a part adapted to engagethe rearsurface of the belt and to press the belt against the support, and a clamp actuating lever normally parallel to the support and overlying the rear surface of the belt, said lever normally contacting with the rear edge of said wall, the lever projecting beyond said wall toprovide a finger-engaging element.

2. A buckle ratchet comprising a box-like housing having substantially parallel front and rear walls spaced to receivea belt end between them, a wall adapted to conceal and protect the end edge of the belt, and end walls for. coniining the belt laterally within the housing, the Arear wall having hook-like continuations for engagement with another buckle member, and also comprising a pivotedv portion constituting an actuating lever, and a clamp secured to said lever L40 for actuation thereby. to press the belt into contact withlthe front Wall of the housing.

3. A buckle ratchet comprising a housing for a belt end, said housing having substantially parallel front and rear walls spaced to receive a belt end betweenthem, anda stopwall extending from the front wall substantially to the rear wall for determining the position of the endV edge ofthe belt, the rearwall comprising .fixed portions., adjacent to. .opposite ends ,ofthe-15C housing', said xed portions having diagonal edges, the rear Wall also comprising a pivotally supported portion having diagonal edges adapted to abut the diagonal edges of the xed portions, and a clamp element secured to said pivoted portion, the latter constituting an actuating lever for the clamp element.

4. A buckle ratchet comprising a housing for a belt end, said housing having substantially parallel front and rear walls spaced to receive a belt end between them, and a stop member projecting from one of said walls toward the other for determining the position of the end edge of the belt, the rear Wall comprising spaced xed parts and a pivoted part, the pivoted part having an edge normally overhanging the stop member at a point between said xed parts to provide a finger-engaging element, and a clamp secured to the pivoted part of the rear Wall, said pivoted part constituting an actuating lever for the clamp.

5. A buckle ratchet comprising a unitary piece of sheet metal bent to provide a substantially at front member constituting a support for a belt end, a stop wall and end walls substantially perpendicular to said support, rear wall members substantially parallel to the support, said rear wall members overhanging the stop Wall and having hook-like extensions, and a movable rear wall member pivotally supported by the end Walls and normally disposed substantially in the plane of the fixed members of the rear wall, and a clamp secured to said movable rear wall member, the latter constituting a lever for moving the clamp to clamp the belt end against the support.

JACOB I. SCHAFFER. 

